| OCZ Vertex 4 Solild State Drive |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Storage | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Tuesday, 12 June 2012 | |
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OCZ Vertex 4 Solid State Drive Review
Manufacturer: OCZ Technology Group, Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by OCZ. Based on the Everest 2 platform and featuring Ndurance 2.0 technology, the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive arrives one year after they acquired the well-known flash controller manufacturer Indilinx. Boasting the industry's best SATA-based I/O performance, the Vertex 4 series (VTX4-25SAT3) is designed to deliver optimized performance for enthusiasts wanting to capitalize on near-instant response times. OCZ Vertex 4 SSDs are available in up to 512GB capacities, and deliver up to 550MB/s read speeds with up to 95,000 Random Read IOPS. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests these specifications, and compares the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive to the leading competition. For those keeping up with the Indilinx Everest SSD controller, OCZ's announcement back in July (2011) listed a 275 MHz dual-core CPU with 128KB on-chip SRAM for programs and another 64KB for data. Soon after the first product to utilize their new Everest platform was the OCZ Octane SSD, which debuted early in 2012 with a 512MB DRAM cache buffer operating at 400 MHz. Now mature and into it's second generation, Everest 2 features a dual-ARM controller architecture based on Marvell controllers that optimize reduced write amplifications without data compression to yield better I/O and help extend the product warranty for Vertex 4 to an industry leading five years.
Solid State vs Hard DiskDespite decades of design improvements, the hard disk drive (HDD) is still the slowest component of any personal computer system. Consider that modern desktop processors have a 1 ns response time (nanosecond = one billionth of one second), while system memory responds between 30-90 ns. Traditional hard drive technology utilizes magnetic spinning media, and even the fastest spinning mechanical storage products still exhibit a 9,000,000 ns / 9 ms initial response time (millisecond = one thousandth of one second). In more relevant terms, the processor receives the command and must then wait for system memory to fetch related data from the storage drive. This is why any computer system is only as fast as the slowest component in the data chain; usually the hard drive. In a perfect world all of the components operate at the same speed. Until that day comes, the real-world goal for achieving optimal performance is for system memory to operate as quickly as the central processor and then for the storage drive to operate as fast as memory. With present-day technology this is an impossible task, so enthusiasts try to close the speed gaps between components as much as possible. Although system memory is up to 90x (9000%) slower than most processors, consider then that the hard drive is an added 1000x (100,000%) slower than that same memory. Essentially, these three components are as different in speed as walking is to driving and flying. Solid State Drive technology bridges the largest gap in these response times. The difference a SSD makes to operational response times and program speeds is dramatic, and takes the storage drive from a slow 'walking' speed to a much faster 'driving' speed. Solid State Drive technology improves initial response times by more than 450x (45,000%) for applications and Operating System software, when compared to their mechanical HDD counterparts. The biggest mistake PC hardware enthusiasts make with regard to SSD technology is grading them based on bandwidth speed. File transfer speeds are important, but only so long as the operational IOPS performance can sustain that bandwidth under load. Bandwidth Speed vs Operational PerformanceAs we've explained in our SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode guide, Solid State Drive performance revolves around two dynamics: bandwidth speed (MB/s) and operational performance (IOPS). These two metrics work together, but one is more important than the other. Consider this analogy: bandwidth determines how much cargo a ship can transport in one voyage, and operational IOPS performance is how fast the ship moves. By understanding this and applying it to SSD storage, there is a clear importance set on each variable depending on the task at hand. For casual users, especially those with laptop or desktop computers that have been upgraded to use an SSD, the naturally quick response time is enough to automatically improve the user experience. Bandwidth speed is important, but only to the extent that operational performance meets the minimum needs of the system. If an SSD has a very high bandwidth speed but a low operational performance, it will take longer to load applications and boot the computer into Windows than if the SSD offered a higher IOPS performance.
Closer Look: OCZ Vertex 4 SSD SeriesSolid state drives have gained quick popularity with performance-minded consumers because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple computer systems. Likewise, they install quite easily into both desktop and notebook platforms without modification. The OCZ Vertex 4 SSD Series is best suited for performance-orientated users, giving personal computers a much faster response time and boosting productivity. OCZ Vertex 4 SSDs are designed with a focus on consumer-level performance features, such as high operational transactions and fast data transfer speeds. Additionally, OCZ's Indilinx Everest 2 architecture includes automatic AES encryption for secure data protection, and improved NAND wear-leveling through their proprietary Indilinx Ndurance 2.0 NAND flash compression technology.
For this article Benchmark Reviews is testing the 256GB OCZ Vertex 4 SSD, which is specified to reach sustained speeds of 550 MB/s for sequential reads and 465 MB/s sequential writes. OCZ specifies 4K random reads up to 90,000 IOPS and random writes up to 85,000 IOPS, with maximum random 512 byte performance topping 120,000 IOPS. 64-256GB OCZ Vertex 4 SSDs feature a 512MB DRAM cache buffer (only the 512GB SSD receives a 1GB cache), which assists in the speedy transfer of data to NAND flash components and yields a near-instant 0.1ms response time. The 256GB model we received for testing is built using 25nm synchronous Intel-Micron MLC NAND flash components. OCZ Technology offers several capacities for the OCZ Vertex 4 series of solid state drives: 64/128/256/512GB. All models share the same part numbers with a capacity designator: VTX4-25SAT3-256G stands for 256GB.
The OCZ Vertex 4 SSD chassis is finished in black, with a brushed aluminum underside. Once installed the SSD is usually hidden away from view, which explains why OCZ has maintained a conservative appearance on the Vertex 4 solid state drive. Both halves of the enclosure are made of metal, with a textured semi-gloss finish on the top panel and metal finish on the bottom. Standard 2.5" drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled into the SSD chassis with fine screw threading, allowing this drive to fit directly into notebook computers that use SATA connections. The SSD mounting positions matched up to the drive bracket on my notebook computer, and after only a few minutes of upgrading I was booting from a restored Windows 7 System Backup Image with ease. Optionally, by using the included 3.5" to 2.5" tray adapter this SSD will also install directly into ATX desktop computers.
Unlike fragile Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage products, SSDs are not nearly as sensitive to impact damage and do not require (or benefit from) any kind of special vibration dampening or shock-proof enclosures. OCZ utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for their Vertex 4-series SSDs, which reveals the internal components after removing four small counter-sunk screws located along the sides of this solid state drive. OCZ Technology offers an industry-leading FIVE YEAR warranty on all Vertex 4 SSD storage products. This should be a factor for anyone shopping SSDs, as it guarantees long-term value. 
At the heart of OCZ's Vertex 4 SSD is the dual-core Indilinx Everest 2 controller, which is based on a Marvell design with part number IDX400M00-BC, and comes with 128KB on-chip SRAM for programs and another 64KB for data. Backwards compatible with SATA 1.5 GB/s and 3.0 GB/s interfaces, this SATA 6.0 GB/s controller includes Ndurance 2.0 technology as well as standard features such as Native Command Queuing (NCQ), S.M.A.R.T. health monitoring, and TRIM-based garbage collection. Everest 2 SSDs all offer BCH error correcting capable of 70 bits correction per 1KB of data. All Vertex 4 models feature 25nm IMFT synchronous MLC NAND flash components, which are superior to asychronous NAND but don't have the initial speed that Toggle-Mode NAND flash offers. In the next few sections we'll test the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive, comparing this solid state drive to other retail products intended for notebook and desktop installations. OCZ Vertex 4 SSD Features
Combining high-speed data transfer rates with record-breaking access times, OCZ Vertex 4 SSDs are designed to provide a superior user experience and improved application performance. Vertex 4 leverages the cutting-edge Indilinx Everest 2 platform and is optimized for the complete spectrum of file types and sizes, with proprietary page mapping algorithms mirroring real world conditions across a wide range of applications. 
VTX4-25SAT3 Specifications
64GB Max Performance*
128GB Max Performance*
256GB Max Performance*
512GB Max Performance*
*Performance specifications reflect update to current firmware version SSD Testing MethodologySolid State Drives have traveled a long winding course to finally get where they are today. Up to this point in technology, there have been several key differences separating Solid State Drives from magnetic rotational Hard Disk Drives. While the DRAM-based buffer size on desktop HDDs has recently reached 64 MB and is ever-increasing, there is still a hefty delay in the initial response time. This is one key area in which flash-based Solid State Drives continually dominates because they lack moving parts to "get up to speed". However the benefits inherent to SSDs have traditionally fallen off once the throughput begins, even though data reads or writes are executed at a high constant rate whereas the HDD tapers off in performance. This makes the average transaction speed of a SSD comparable to the data burst rate mentioned in HDD tests, albeit usually lower than the HDD's speed. Comparing a Solid State Disk to a standard Hard Disk Drives is always relative; even if you're comparing the fastest rotational spindle speeds. One is going to be many times faster in response (SSDs), while the other is usually going to have higher throughput bandwidth (HDDs). Additionally, there are certain factors which can affect the results of a test which we do our best to avoid. SSD Testing DisclaimerEarly on in our SSD coverage, Benchmark Reviews published an article which detailed Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing. The research and discussion that went into producing that article changed the way we now test SSD products. Our previous perceptions of this technology were lost on one particular difference: the wear leveling algorithm that makes data a moving target. Without conclusive linear bandwidth testing or some other method of total-capacity testing, our previous performance results were rough estimates at best. Our test results were obtained after each SSD had been prepared using DISKPART or Sanitary Erase tools. As a word of caution, applications such as these offer immediate but temporary restoration of original 'pristine' performance levels. In our tests, we discovered that the maximum performance results (charted) would decay as subsequent tests were performed. SSDs attached to TRIM enabled Operating Systems will benefit from continuously refreshed performance, whereas older O/S's will require a garbage collection (GC) tool to avoid 'dirty NAND' performance degradation. It's critically important to understand that no software for the Microsoft Windows platform can accurately measure SSD performance in a comparable fashion. Synthetic benchmark tools such as ATTO Disk Benchmark and Iometer are helpful indicators, but should not be considered the ultimate determining factor. That factor should be measured in actual user experience of real-world applications. Benchmark Reviews includes both bandwidth benchmarks and application speed tests to present a conclusive measurement of product performance. Test System
Storage Hardware TestedThe following storage hardware has been used in our benchmark performance testing, and may be included in portions of this article:
Test Tools
Test Results DisclaimerThis article utilizes benchmark software tools to produce operational IOPS performance and bandwidth speed results. Each test was conducted in a specific fashion, and repeated for all products. These test results are not comparable to any other benchmark application, neither on this website or another, regardless of similar IOPS or MB/s terminology in the scores. The test results in this project are only intended to be compared to the other test results conducted in identical fashion for this article. AS-SSD BenchmarkAlex Schepeljanski of Alex Intelligent Software develops the free AS SSD Benchmark utility for testing storage devices. The AS SSD Benchmark tests sequential read and write speeds, input/output operational performance, and response times. Because this software receives frequent updates, Benchmark Reviews recommends that you compare results only within the same version family. Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive produced speeds up to 432.92 MB/s for reads and 451.31 MB/s writes. Because the Everest 2 platform is not dramatically effected by the compressed data used in this benchmark, sequential file transfer speeds appear higher than SSDs that prefer uncompressed data. For this reason, we concentrate on the operational IOPS performance for this section. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests deliver 25.77 MB/s read and 76.22 MB/s write, while the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 331.99 MB/s and write performance was 301.98 MB/s. This is significantly better than all other SATA-based SSDs previously released.
AS-SSD 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance results are displayed in the chart below, which compares several enthusiast-level storage products currently on the market. In these 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance tests the OCZ Vertex 4 series did not outperformed many other SSDs, but did surpass the older Indilinx Barefoot series. The chart below is sorted by total combined performance, which helps illustrate which products offer the best operational input/output under load:
In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests transfer rates using ATTO Disk Benchmark. ATTO Disk BenchmarkThe ATTO Disk Benchmark program is free, and offers a comprehensive set of test variables to work with. In terms of disk performance, it measures interface transfer rates at various intervals for a user-specified length and then reports read and write speeds for these spot-tests. There are some minor improvements made to the 2.46 version of the program that allow for test lengths up to 2GB, but all of our benchmarks are conducted with 256MB total length. ATTO Disk Benchmark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested. Please consider the results displayed by this benchmark to be basic bandwidth speed performance indicators.
ATTO Disk Benchmark: Queue Depth 4 (Default)Our bandwidth speed tests begin with the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive attached to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller operating in AHCI mode. Using the ATTO Disk Benchmark tool, the test drive performs basic file transfers ranging from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB. This 256GB model reports 548 MBps maximum read speeds that plateau from about 2048-8192 KB file chunks, and 471 MBps peak write bandwidth plateaus from 32-8192 KB. These results agree with OCZ's performance specifications of 550/465 MBps for the Vertex 4 SSD series.
In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests sequential performance using the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 software tool... CrystalDiskMark 3.0 TestsCrystalDiskMark 3.0 is a file transfer and operational bandwidth benchmark tool from Crystal Dew World that offers performance transfer speed results using sequential, 512KB random, and 4KB random samples. For our test results chart below, the 4KB 32-Queue Depth read and write performance was measured using a 1000MB space. CrystalDiskMark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested, and all drives are formatted with NTFS on the Intel P67 chipset configured to use AHCI-mode. Benchmark Reviews uses CrystalDiskMark to illustrate operational IOPS performance with multiple threads. In addition to our other tests, this benchmark allows us to determine operational bandwidth under heavy load. CrystalDiskMark uses compressed data in its benchmark tests, and because the Everest 2 platform is not dramatically effected by the compressed data used in this benchmark sequential file transfer speeds appear higher than SSDs that prefer uncompressed data. For this reason, we concentrate on the operational IOPS performance for this section. CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds reaching 465.1 MB/s reads and 465.8 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 297.2 MB/s read and 460.8 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 29.06 read and 96.88 write performance. All of these results are significantly better than previous generations of solid state drive products.
Maximum 4KB IOPS performance results at queue depth 32 are reported in the chart below. These values represent the performance levels for several enthusiast-level storage solutions, and illustrates which products offer the best operational performance under load:
In the next section, we continue our testing using Iometer to measure input/output performance... Iometer IOPS PerformanceIometer is an I/O subsystem measurement and characterization tool for single and clustered systems. Iometer does for a computer's I/O subsystem what a dynamometer does for an engine: it measures performance under a controlled load. Iometer was originally developed by the Intel Corporation and formerly known as "Galileo". Intel has discontinued work on Iometer, and has gifted it to the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL). There is currently a new version of Iometer in beta form, which adds several new test dimensions for SSDs. Iometer is both a workload generator (that is, it performs I/O operations in order to stress the system) and a measurement tool (that is, it examines and records the performance of its I/O operations and their impact on the system). It can be configured to emulate the disk or network I/O load of any program or benchmark, or can be used to generate entirely synthetic I/O loads. It can generate and measure loads on single or multiple (networked) systems. To measure random I/O response time as well as total I/O's per second, Iometer is set to use 4KB file size chunks over a 100% random sequential distribution at a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O's per target. The tests are given a 50% read and 50% write distribution. While this pattern may not match traditional 'server' or 'workstation' profiles, it illustrates a single point of reference relative to our product field. All of our SSD tests used Iometer 1.1.0 (build 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation to measure IOPS performance, using a SandForce-created QD30 configuration: 4KB 100 Random 50-50 Read and Write.icf. The chart below illustrates combined random read and write IOPS over a 120-second Iometer test phase, where highest I/O total is preferred:
In our Iometer tests, which are configured to use 32 outstanding I/O's per target and random 50/50 read/write distribution, SandForce SSDs generally outperform the competition when tested with this large queue depth. Ultra high-end PCI-Express SSDs top our results, but the OCZ Vertex 4 SSD manages to eclipse their performance with an impressive combined IOPS of 83,494 - the best we've seen from any SATA-based SSD. The 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition trails behind with 83,117 IOPS while the Intel SSD 520 Series produced 80,433 peak combined IOPS. All of our top performers deliver I/O far beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers, and would be ideal for systems running several virtual machines. In our next section, we test linear read and write bandwidth performance and compare its speed against several other top storage products using EVEREST Disk Benchmark. Benchmark Reviews feels that linear tests are excellent for rating SSDs, however HDDs are put at a disadvantage with these tests whenever capacity is high. EVEREST Disk BenchmarkMany enthusiasts are familiar with the Lavalys EVEREST benchmark suite, but very few are aware of the Disk Benchmark tool available inside the program. The EVEREST Disk Benchmark performs linear read and write bandwidth tests on each drive, and can be configured to use file chunk sizes up to 1MB (which speeds up testing and minimizes jitter in the waveform). Because of the full sector-by-sector nature of linear testing, Benchmark Reviews endorses this method for testing SSD products, as detailed in our Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing article. However, Hard Disk Drive products suffer a lower average bandwidth as the capacity draws linear read/write speed down into the inner-portion of the disk platter. EVEREST Disk Benchmark does not require a partition to be present for testing, so all of our benchmarks are completed prior to drive formatting. Linear disk benchmarks are superior bandwidth speed tools in my opinion, because they scan from the first physical sector to the last. A side affect of many linear write-performance test tools is that the data is erased as it writes to every sector on the drive. Normally this isn't an issue, but it has been shown that partition table alignment will occasionally play a role in overall SSD performance (HDDs don't suffer this problem).
The high-performance storage products we've tested with EVEREST Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller and use a 1MB block size option. Read performance on the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive measured average speeds of 463.0 MB/s, with a relatively close maximum peak speed of 475.5 MB/s. These results are lower then other recently-tested SSDs, as Vertex 4 is more focused on delivering superior I/O performance. Everest linear write-to tests were next...
The waveform chart below illustrates how well the OCZ Vertex 4 manages file transfers, and makes linear write performance appears relatively uneven. The results seen here are consistent with most other SSD products we've tested in the past that use a DRAM cache buffer. The OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 397.3 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 409.8 MB/s. The chart below shows the average linear read and write bandwidth speeds for a cross-section of storage devices tested with EVEREST:
Linear tests are an important tool for comparing bandwidth speed between storage products - although HDD products suffer performance degradation over the span of their areal storage capacity. Linear bandwidth certainly benefits the Solid State Drive, since there's very little fluctuation in transfer speed. This is because Hard Disk Drive products decline in performance as the spindle reaches the inner-most sectors on the magnetic platter, away from the fast outer edge. In the next section we use PCMark Vantage to test real-world performance... PCMark Vantage HDD TestsPCMark Vantage is an objective hardware performance benchmark tool for PCs running 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. PCMark Vantage is well suited for benchmarking any type of Microsoft Windows Vista/7 PC: from multimedia home entertainment systems and laptops, to dedicated workstations and high-end gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has decided to use the HDD Test Suite to demonstrate simulated real-world storage drive performance in this article. PCMark Vantage runs eight different storage benchmarks, each with a specific purpose. Once testing is complete, results are given a PCMark score while and detailed results indicate actual transaction speeds. The 256GC OCZ Vertex 4 SSD produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 41089, with specific speeds reported below:
Our tests were conducted on an Intel P67-Express Sandy Bridge motherboard using the onboard native SATA 6Gb/s controller with 64-bit Windows 7. Performance results are displayed in the chart below:
In the next section, I share my review conclusion and final product rating. OCZ Vertex 4 SSD ConclusionIMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate. Our performance rating considers how effective the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive performs in file transfer operations against competing storage solutions. For reference, the 256GB model is specified by OCZ to produce up to 550 MB/s read speeds and 465 MB/s writes. In our storage benchmark tests the OCZ Vertex 4 solid state drive (model VTX4-25SAT3-256G) performed exactly at these speeds. Our test results demonstrated that OCZ's Vertex 4 SSD was good for delivering 548/471 MB/s peak read and write speeds using ATTO Disk Benchmark SSD speed tests. Linear file transfers with Everest Disk Benchmark produced 463/397 MB/s, which exceed performance of the OCZ Octane. Transfer speeds were very fast overall. The 256GB OCZ Vertex 4 SSD sent to us for testing is advertised to deliver up to 90,000 random 4KB write IOPS and 85,000 random 4KB read IOPS. Using Iometer operational performance tests configured to a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O's per target, our benchmarks produced 83,494 combined IOPS performance and delivered the best IOPS performance we've ever tested from any storage device. In 4K 32QD tests using AS-SSD and CrystalDiskMark, the OCZ Vertex 4 SSD excelled well past the competition by a very sizable margin. It's clear from our results that OCZ have designed their Indilinx Everest 2 platform and the Vertex 4 SSD series to deliver superior operational transaction performance in contrast to focusing purely on file transfer speeds. Compared to toggle and asynchronous NAND flash components used in other SSD products, synchronous NAND flash components (such as those used in the OCZ Vertex 4 series) resist performance degradation as storage capacity is filled and represent the future of consumer-level solid state drives. Not only are these components fast, but they maintain better performance throughout the product's lifetime.
Solid State Drives are low-visibility products: you see them just long enough to install and then they're forgotten. Like their Hard Disk Drive counterparts, Solid State Drives are meant to place function before fashion. Anything above and beyond a simple metal shell is already more than what's expected in terms of the appearance. OCZ has created a back-to-basics look with the black textured paint finish with orange branding on their Vertex 4 series SSDs. As solid state storage controllers become faster and more advanced, heat dissipation through the enclosure walls may demand that chassis designs become more beneficial than they previously needed to be. For now, the thermal transfer pad that joins the metal chassis to an Indilinx-Infused Everest 2 Marvell-based controller suits it nicely. Construction is probably the strongest feature credited to the entire SSD product segment, and OCZ products seldom offer exception to this rule. Solid-state storage is by nature immune to most abuses, but add a hard metal shell and the chance of failure is reduced to internal component defects. If any Vertex 4 series SSD product happens to fail during the 5-year warranty period, end-users may contact OCZ via the company website or extensive support forums. Fortunately, there's also a toll-free telephone number (800-459-1816) for free technical support and customer service questions. OCZ has been proven to be one of the best companies in the business when it comes to customer service, and replacement parts are often sent with priority delivery. As of June 2012, the OCZ Vertex 4 SSD is available online in the following capacities and prices:
The OCZ Vertex 4 SSD is a truly solid product, and the Indilinx Everest 2 platform delivers usable I/O performance rather than simply generating fast file transfer speeds. Consumers have been brainwashed into thinking SSDs are all about transfer speeds even though operational input-output performance is the most important metric. Most of us are using our computers to actually do things, instead of just moving things. The new dual-core Indilinx Everest 2 (Marvell) processor produces impressive SATA 6 Gb/s speeds while generating IOPS performance to support massive concurrent transactions like a database server might require. Additionally, the use of 25nm synchronous NAND flash components and large 512MB cache buffer ensure that power-users never have to wait for their programs to open or data to be fetched. OCZ is so confident of their Vertex 4 SSD that five years of warranty support go above and beyond what we've seen offered for their other product lines. Additionally, Vertex 4 costs considerably less than other recently launched solid state products. Benchmark Reviews recognizes how well the OCZ Vertex 4 SSD delivers useful performance for power users and enthusiasts while still topping our performance charts with a sizable lead, proudly earning our Golden Tachometer Award. Pros:
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Comments
See here: ##theregister.co.uk/2012/05/28/fusion_io_suitcase_c omputing/
"According to Brisebois, typical SSD latency is around 1 millisecond, while ioFX latency is 0.04 milliseconds ? much closer to RAM speeds."
The reality is that SSD's have latencies that aren't that much worse than their products (for example the Vertex 4 has average latency of about .05ms. Add in the $11/GB premium (where the Vertex 4 sells for $1/GB) and there products may not have much value for the majority people looking to speed up their database.
I really want one of these.
Over the past few months, I have purchased the Vertex 4 512GB and 256GB SSD's. They work fine with newer motherboards, but I've ran into repeated compatibility problems (drive not recognized / won't boot) with older (more than 4 years old) laptops. Keep in mind, the Vertex 3 works fine in the older laptops. Just saying, the Vertex 4 seems a bit more finicky about the SATA controller it's attached to.
FWIW, here's my very UN-scientific and arguably woefully UN-controlled benchmark comparing performance of a Vertex 3 vs Vertex 4.
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 on Intel Sandybridge Desktop Motherboard with i7 CPU copying 46GB file from one SSD to another. Both SSD's connected to 6GB SATA III ports on motherboard.
Vertex 3 120GB to Vertex 3 480GB = 284.93 mb/sec
Vertex 3 120GB to Vertex 4 256GB = 339.40 mb/sec
I'm the only one there missing more SSD Memory in the 2.5" Size Today ?
I'd be interested in the results with (as far as I know) the same price range...